Process and apparatus for refining chocolate and the like



' W. C. SCHUPPNER. v PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR REFINING CHOCOLATE AND THE LIKE.

Patented Sept. 6, 1921.

APPLICATION HLED JULY 2, I920.

l NVENTOR ATTORNEYS WILLIAM CHRISTOPHER SCEQPPNER, GE ASTORIA, NEW

FRUGESS AND APPARATUS FOR REFINING CEHUGOLATE AND THE Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 2, 1920. Serial No. 393,630;

'York, have invented new and useful Im-- provements in Processes and Apparatus for Refining Chocolate and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a process and apparatus for refining chocolate and the like.

The refining, to which this invention is directed, is a super-refining and is intended to produce extra smooth chocolate. For example, the product is especially suitable for milk chocolate and very high grade coatings. High grade chocolate has been produced heretofore, but the processes adopted are relatively slow compared to the process of this invention. As a representative example of prior practice in the production of high grade chocolate, the liquor, after it has been subjected to the ordinary refining, as

by diskor roll refiners, is treated in the conge, or Swiss rubbing machine. This machine, which consists of a heavy roll reciprocable along a granite bed, requires, as a general rule, from forty-eight to seventytwo hours to obtain the desired result.

My invention, broadly, is concerned with, and has for its object the provision of, a rocess and apparatus for refining chocoate and the like which will produce a prodnot of a quality equal to that obtained by prior processes, but in a much shorter time.

The process, broadlyconsidered, consists in lacing the liquor in a suitable receptacle ant in rapidly and repeatedly driving the liquor against roughened surfaces, whereby the particles of the liquor are caused to impinge upon and flow over such surfaces many times for the refining action.

As another feature of the process, the liquor may be subjected to a churning action at the same time that it is being driven against the roughened surfaces, which not only continually stirs the liquor and keeps it in thoroughly amalgamated condition but also aids in the refining action by driving the liquor along, as well as against, the roughened surfaces.

' In carrying out the process, I prefer to make use of an apparatus, involving a suitable liquor containing receptacle, which is provided with roughened Surfaces, and one or more propeller-like members which, by their rotation, are arranged to drive the liquor against the roughened surfaces of the receptacle.

As-another feature of the apparatus, l

may roughen the propeller-like members themselves to increase the refining action.

In the preferred form of the apparatus, the roughened surfaces of the receptacle are arranged in a plane normal, or substantially so, to the axis of revolution of the propeller members but, as an added feature of the apparatus, 1' may provide roughened surfaces in planes parallel to such axis, as about the side or sides of the receptacle.

My refining apparatus is also advantageous in that it may function advantageously as a means for tempering the liquor after it has been refined. Generally, the liquor, after having been refined, as in the conge, is then transferred to a mixing kettle where it is stirred and kept from separating until ready for use. With my apparatus, it is unnecessary to transfer the liquor to a mix ing or tempering kettle for, after the refining is completed, the propellers may be turned, although preferably at considerably slower speed, to keep the liquor in thoroughly amalgamated condition until ready for use.

Other features of the invention will appear in the following description and in the accompanying drawings, wherein I show an apparatus which embodies the structural features of the invention and is suitablefor use in carrying out the process.

T In these drawings,-

Figure 1 is a sectional elevational view of the apparatus; and

Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view thereof, drawn to a reduced scale.

Referring to these drawings, the apparatus, in its broadest aspects, involves a suitable receptacle a, in which the liquor to be refined is placed and which is provided with roughened surfaces, as shown at b, and suitable means for rapidly and repeatedly driving'the liquor against these surfaces. Preferably, such means consist of one or'more rotatable propeller-like members 0, which are arranged to rotate about an axis substantially. normal to the plane in which the roughened surfaces b are located. Preferably also, the receptacle a is surrounded, as far as may be, by a heating jacket, as d,

Patented Sept, ti, 1921.-

through which a suitable heating medium, such as steam, hot water, or a mixture of both, is 'circul'atedby means of pipes c.

In carrying out the process. the chocolate liquor, or like substance to be treated, s placed in the receptacle a, wherein it is maintained at proper temperature by means of the heating medium flowingthrough the jacket d, and the member or members 0 are' rotated at relatively high speed. The members c are shaped substantially like propellers and so function, except of course that, since they are held from axial movement, the liquor rather than the propellers move in the direction of the axis of rotation. The direction of rotation of the propellers is such as to force the liquor toward and against the roughened surfaces. By this action, I conceive that each particle of the liquor is caused to impinge again and again on the roughened surfaces 6 and to move over such surfaces and over and against the other particles of the liquor, whereby such particles are smoothed and the liquor refined.

The propellers 0 likewise cause the liquor to flow along, as well as against, the roughened surfaces 6, and thus increase and expedite the refining action. The rotating propellers also circulate the liquor to insure that all portions thereof are subjected to the refining action and they also serve, by their stirring action, to keep the liquor in athoroughly amalgamated condition. The eddies and various currents set up by the rotation of the propellers c, by themselves, cause portions of the liquor to repeatedly flow over other portions and thereby, in a measure, refine it. Such method of refining is, however, relatively slow, and my process is characterized by the repeated forcing of the particles of the li uor against, over, and along roughened sur aces, which very materially lessens the time necessary to secure the desired results. As compared to prior practice, as with refining in the conge for example, my process requires only from one-fourth to one-sixth of the time formerly necessary for a given degree of refining.

Preferably, in order to accelerate the process, those surfaces of the propellers adyacent to the roughened surfaces 1), are themselves roughened as at Furthermore, additional roughened surfaces may be provided in the receptacle (1 for like reasons as, for example,

about the sides thereof as conventionally in- I dicated at g.

As to the details of the illustrated apparatus, the roughened surfaces 6 are, as shown, preferably formed on separate members which are inserted in the receptacle (1.

. Thus, four sector-shaped blocks it are applied tothe bottom of receptacle a, the upper surfaces of which blocks have previously bee roughened, as by corrugating, although the particular character of the roughened surfaces is not necessarily essential. 'As shown, the corrugations of each sector h are arranged at right angles to those of the adjacent sectors, whereby the liquor, when traveling in a horizontal plane, will encounter the roughened surfaces, as well as when di rected downwardly. The sectors it may be made of any suitable material, such for example as iron or stone.

I prefer to employ at least two propellers c and these, preferably, although not necessarily, rotate in opposite directions. Each propeller c is fixed to the lower end of a vertical shaft 1', which is rotatably mounted in suitable bearings carried by a cover 7r, removably secured to the top of receptacle a, and provided with openings, as Z for the introduction of the liquor into the receptacle. Collars m fixed to each shaft 5 hold the latter from axial displacement in either direction and take the thrust of the propellers c. A horizontal shaft 7:, rotatably mounted in cover is slightly in back of the shafts 2', is arranged to drive both of the latter through sets of spiral gears 0 and the two. sets of gears are arranged in rights and lefts to drive the shaftsi in opposite directions. The shaft 11 is the main power shaft and may be driven from a suitable source of power by the pulley shown.

Thus, I have provided an improved process and apparatus for refining chocolate and the like, which is characterized by a substan tial reduction in the time necessary to secure a given degree of refining. I

The invention has been set forth herein for illustrative purposes, but the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

lVhat I claim is- 1. The method of refining chocolate and the like, which consists in rapidly and repeatedly driving the chocolate against roughened surfaces.

2. The method of refining chocolate and the like, which consists in placing the liquor into a suitable receptacle, and rapidly and repeatedly forcing the liquor against roughened surfaces therein and thereby causing the particles of the liquor to engage and move over such surfaces to smooth them.

3. The method of refining chocolate and the like, which consists in placing the liquor in a suitable re eptacle, in stirring the liquor, and at t l 1e same time driving it rapidly in another direction to cause it to impinge upon and flow over roughened surfaces in the receptacle.

4. The method of refining chocolate and the like, which'oonsists in rapidly and repeatedly driving the chocolate against roughened or pocketed surfaces and in utilizing for such refining action a volume of 130 the chocolate which is considerably in excess of the volume of the pockets in said surfaces.

5. The method of refining chocolate and the like, whichconsists in placing the liquor into a suitable receptacle having roughened or pocketed surfaces therein, in treating at one time a volume of liquor in excess of the volume of the pockets in said surfaces, and in refining the liquor by rapidly driving it against said surfaces.

6. The method of refining chocolate and the like, which consists in placing the liquor into a suitable receptacle having peatedly forcing said chocolate thereagainst.

- 8. A refining apparatus for chocolate and thelike, comprising a suitable receptacle for the chocolate, roughened surfaces provided in the receptacle, and agitating means in the receptacle out of contact with said roughened surfaces constructed so as to repeatedly drive the chocolate against the latter to refine the chocolate.

9. A refining apparatus for chocolate and the like, comprising, a suitable receptacle for the chocolate, roughened surfaces provided in the receptacle, and agitating means in the receptacle out of contact with said roughened surfaces constructed so as to repeatedly drive the chocolate against the latter to refine the chocolate, said agitating means having roughened surfaces to increase therefining action. a

10. A refining apparatus for chocolate and the like,;c'ompr1sing a suitable receptacle for the chocolate, roughened surfaces provided in the receptacle, and a propeller-like member in thereceptacle out of contact with said roughened surfaces to repeatedly force the chocolate thereagainst.

11. A refining apparatus for chocolate and the like, comprising, a suitable receptacle for the chocolate, roughened surfaces provided in the base of the receptacle, and a propellerlike member rotatable in a plane substantially parallel to the bottom of the receptacle but out of contact with said roughened surfaces and constructed so as to repeatedly force the chocolate against-the latter. I

12. A. refining apparatus for chocolate and the like, a suitable receptacle for the cheer) late, roughened surfaces provided in the base of the receptacle, and a pair of propellerlike members rotatable in opposite directions but out of contact with said roughened surfaces and each constructed to force the chocolate downwardly against the latter.

13. A refining apparatus comprising a suitable receptacle for the liquor having on its inner surface refining or reducing plates and means spaced from the latter to force the liquor against and across the face of said plates.

14. A refining apparatus comprising a receptacle for the liquor, a reducing or refining disk at the bottom of the receptacle and means spaced from said disk to force thr liquor against and across the face of the latter.

, 15. A refining apparatus comprising a liquor containing kettle, having an interior refining surface and means out of contact with said surface to force the circulation of a mass contained in the kettle directly against and across the face ofsaid surface. 16. A' refining apparatus comprising a mixing kettle, and relatively movable refining means having suitable refining ,surfaces thereon and within. the kettle and spaced from one another to cause a rapid rubbing action of the liquor against itself and against said surfaces. i

17.' A refining apparatus comprising a kettle provided at the bottom with a roughened refining-surface and means spaced from the latter to drive the liquor within the kettle forcibly against and over said surface.

18. An apparatus for the purpose described comprising a kettle with the inside bottom surface constructed as a reducing disk and a propeller mounted within the kettle and out of contact with said disk and means to drive the propeller with sufficientspeed to force the liquor to rub over said surface.

19. Anhapparatus for the purpose described comprising a kettle having an interior reducing surface and two or more propellers rotatablein opposite directions out of contact with said surface to violently agitate liquor in the kettle and force it over th said surface.

20. An apparatus for the purpose described comprising a kettle, liquor propulsion means therein arranged to cause a circulation downwardly and around the bot tom of the kettle, and a reducing surface on the bottom of the kettle out of contact with said means.

21. An apparatus for the purpose described comprising a kettle having angularly arranged reducing surfaces, two or more oppositely rotatable propellers mounted to lie within the kettle out of contact with said surface and held against vertical movement along axes arranged. away from the I kettle axis, and means to drive said propellers to thereby force liquor in the kettle With substantial force against said surfaces;

22. The combination of means provided with a chocolate reducing surface and a rotatable propeller held out of contact with the latter and against axial movement to force an otherwise free mass of over said surface.

23. An apparatus for the purpose described comprising a kettle having at its bottom reducing surfaces, two propellers roliquor against and tatahle in opposite directions about axes parallel to the kettles axis and spaced equidistantly from the latter, said propellers arranged to rotate out of contact with said surfaces and to drive the liquor in the kettle downwardly against said surfaces to refine it, and reducinfg surfaces provided on the riving sides 0 said propellers. In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

WILLI AM CHRISTOPHER SCI-IfiPPNER. 

